The present invention relates to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) module and more particularly to a structure for affixing an LCD module.
An LCD module is generally made up of an LCD panel and a printed circuit board. The LCD panel has a generally rectangular configuration, as seen in a plan view. The printed circuit board is held in close contact with the rear of the panel and carries circuitry for driving the panel thereon. The panel is constituted by two glass sheets adhered together. Flexible printed circuit boards are mounted on the edges of the module, and each is bent inward over the edges of the panel and circuit board. Each flexible printed circuit board is connected at one end to the circuit board and at the other end to the panel. The module with this configuration is accommodated in a frame formed of synthetic resin or metal. The frame with the module is mounted to, e.g., the casing of an LCD device. To affix the module to the frame, use may be made of two-sided adhesive tapes or a press fitting technique.
The above conventional LCD module has some problems left unsolved, as follows. The glass sheets constituting the LCD panel have edges abutting or substantially abutting against the walls of the inside of the frame. This brings about a problem that a shock or an impact that may act on the frame from the outside causes the edges of the glass sheets to hit against the walls of the frame. As a result, the glass sheets are apt to chip or crack, practically disabling the module from displaying an image. Particularly, only one of the glass sheets is present at the edges of the panel where the flexible printed circuit boards are mounted. This aggravates the above chipping or cracking problem. Further, when the edges of the glass sheets have fine chipped portions or burrs, cracking or chipping grows from the chipped portions or burrs when subjected to an impact, resulting in critical damage.
Moreover, at a position where each glass sheet is positioned alone and forms a corner together with the other glass sheet, the glass sheets are far more susceptible to an impact than at the other positions. The frame must therefore have its portion corresponding to the above position hollowed out, so that the corners of the glass sheets will not contact the frame.
Technologies relating to the present invention are disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 4-220623 and 7-42245.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an LCD module capable of protecting glass sheets constituting an LCD panel from damage ascribable to direct contact thereof with, e.g., a frame and making it needless to provide the frame with a special configuration.
An LCD module of the present invention includes an LCD panel having a substantially rectangular configuration, as seen in a plan view, and a printed circuit board held in close contact with the rear of the LCD panel and carrying circuitry for driving the LCD panel thereon. The printed circuit board includes extensions extending outward of the LCD panel at at least two corners of the LCD panel.